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Children give love to presidents

Program includes visit to new military exhibit

Overland Trail Museum assistant Perry Johnson (center) watches for the toy boat to make its landing during an activity at the "I Love Presidents' Day" program Saturday. The game recalled George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River during the Revolutionary War. (Sara Waite / Sterling Journal-Advocate)

Participants in the "I Love Presidents' Day" program at the Overland Trail Museum got to make Valentine's Day cards as one of their activities. (Sara Waite / Sterling Journal-Advocate)

George Washington ended up felling the love Saturday, as he was voted the best U.S. president during the Overland Trail Museum's "I Love Presidents' Day" program.

A half dozen children participated in the third annual program, which combines celebrations of Valentine's Day and Presidents Day. The participants were divided into two teams: the "Honest Abes" and the "General Washingtons."

The program started with a look at the history of Valentine's Day. While the holiday's exact origins are unclear — there is more than one St. Valentine in the Roman Catholic Church — it is commonly attributed to Valentinus of Rome, who was martyred in the late third century for performing marriages despite a ban. Geoffrey Chaucer, an English poet from the Middle Ages, was the first to connect the Feast of St. Valentine with romantic love, and the holiday's popularity grew during the Victorian era.

Chelsea Leonard of the Overland Trail Museum shows participants in the "I Love Presidents' Day" program panels about the Civil War that are on display now in the museum's new military exhibit in the David Hamil Building. (Sara Waite / Sterling Journal-Advocate)

The children then got an opportunity to "Name that Tune" — featuring clips of old-time Valentine's Day songs, including "Polly Wolly Doodle," "A Tisket, A Tasket," and "Froggy Went a-Courtin'" — to earn points for their teams. That was followed by a quiz on Victorian etiquette. Museum staff member Chelsea Leonard gave a demonstration on how Victorian ladies communicated with hand fans, such as holding it in the left hand meant "leave me alone."

Their final Valentine's Day activity was making hand-made cards for their loved ones. Following that, they kicked off the Presidents' Day portion of the program with a snack honoring the two featured presidents: cherry pie for George Washington, and gingersnaps for Abraham Lincoln.

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A new feature of this year's program was a trip to the Dave Hamil Building to visit the museum's new "That We Might Be Free" military exhibit and view panels from Teachers Discovery on the Civil War. The traveling panels will only be on display for a month, but the rest of the exhibit will be up for a while, according to museum assistant Perry Johnson.

Children attempt to pitch pennies into a stovepipe hat to earn points for their team Saturday during the "I Love Presidents' Day" program at the Overland Trail Museum. (Sara Waite / Sterling Journal-Advocate)

Back in the High Plains Education Center, Johnson gave a slideshow presentation on Washington and Lincoln. The children played several games, including a contest to get a toy boat across "the Delaware" (a tub of water), favorite songs of the presidents, and pitching pennies into a stovepipe hat.

In the end, the decision of who was the best president came down, not to points, but a vote. Washington won by a landslide, and was "inaugurated" with confetti canons.

The museum's upcoming History Cafe program, at 10:15 a.m. Thursday, will offer another opportunity for guests to view the new military exhibit, as well as the new exhibit of women's clothing and textiles in the first addition.

The topic for the gathering will be the Japanese immigrants in Logan County. Participants will also learn a simple origami craft.

Regular museum admission of $3 for adults and $1.50 for children does apply and includes admission to the entire museum. Call the museum at 970-522-3895 to reserve a place.

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